BTA Episode 08: The New 12?
by J-Dub -Silver Enigma
Summary: Times will get tougher for the Bean Titans. Is creating another group of Titans to be the leading dozen of the pack really a good idea? We will soon find out. Some references from video games and various animated series are used.
1. The Conference

**AN: I am pleased to announce that this is the eighth episode in the Bean Titans Adventures (for those of you that don't know what BTA stands for).**

**The reason why this episode has importance is because it is the lead-in to what I call _"Crisis Central"_ for the Titans. Crisis Central is the time period (BTA Parts 9-18) in which the Titans experience a marathon of dismal disasters and trying trials. In other words, the Bean Titans are in for one heck of a bumpy ride from here on out. I recall that it lasts from two to three months.**

**The same concepts from the previous episodes still apply.**

**This first chapter may not be "on point", but it is a part of the story.**

**Enjoy BTA Part 8!**

* * *

**~BTA Part 8: The New 12~**

Chapter 1 — The Conference

Over the course of two years, the Bean Titans have come across new developments in their skills as heroes. Aside from the same old business (fighting evildoers and crime as always), there have been some notable happenings with several Titans that have previously been said to be improbable.

**To name a few:** Sweet (age 49) has been able to teach his powers to his sons. Except for Mooch (age 24), who has his zanpakutō, the rest of the siblings have yearned for other abilities other than the Kamehameha Wave. Congo and Cheeks were taught web-slinging, Slowpoke learned the optic laser, and Bongo received control over fire. Mooch asked about Sweet's final power—his retractable metal claws between his fingers. Sweet reminded him that his sword was not the only blade he possessed; Mooch's limbs and tail could slice at his wish. Hearing this, Mooch thought that it was only fair to accept that, since his brothers waited so long to have other powers.

While training with her mother, Lucy would occasionally find that her Fusion Blasts would shift between light AND dark energy. When Mac saw this, he wanted to know how his daughter figured out how to utilize her skills with opposite elements. She did not know exactly how, but she did know that it would be useful to her in the future.

Since he turned 11, Felix (currently 12 years old) has not missed a day to train. No one knew why he started to constantly push his limits, but they were amazed by his results. Usually, a training session for a Bean Titan would leave them nearly drained for the rest of the day, without healing. Felix, on the other hand, has trained almost to the point were his ending power is half as much as his starting strength, without healing. He must have some kind of dream that he's going after.

* * *

Because of this growth in the Titans, Sweet needed to call the Legendary 12 (L12 for short) into the Mission Room for a conference. He told them (over the PA System) that it was an important mission briefing.

Mac read the briefing from the computer inside the room. "Hey, there's nothing new on this thing." he told the group. There was not a single job on the Bean Titans' to-do list.

"I know." Sweet replied, turning around and walking toward the holographic globe in the center of the room.

"What's going on?" asked Dotty.

Sweet sighed. "How long has it been since we first started fighting Wrinkle?"

Aurora counted the years. "About 35 years."

"35...?" Fancy murmured.

"Yeah, Fancy. You weren't there at our first battle with him." Canyon reminded her.

"For her, that's about 30 years." Mystic said.

"Getting off topic..." Mac warned.

"Sorry." Spunky uttered. "Sweet, you aren't thinking of making some sort of treaty with him, are you?"

"No... he wouldn't accept it anyway. I brought up the question because of how the situation with him is now... the 12 of us aren't gonna last another 20 years fighting him. They're immortal, and eventually we'll crumble—there's no denying it."

This shook the twelve Titans in attendance.

"You're right. It hurts to say it, but it's true. Eventually, he'll probably find some way to take us down, having known us his whole life. Not to mention everyone else affiliated with him." Kuku stated.

"Thinking Time again." Aurora half-heartedly announced.

This was basically the Legendary 12's job when there was spare time—to think about any way possible to strategize in hard trials or fortify the potency and prestige of the Titans.

"Anyone?" Floppity questioned openly to everyone, after ten minutes of thought.

"Nothin'." Hippity replied.

"How about we get Titans X to get stronger and help us?" Mac suggested.

"They already have their hands full with the Moon Base. Finding time to train would be hard for them. Plus, the Danger Room up there isn't even finished... and they said that they'd handle it. In short, that's not gonna work." Fleece answered.

"I GOT IT!" Sweet blurted out loud. Mystic was startled by his uproar, so she slapped him on impulse.

"Don't scare me like that!" she told him.

"You're psychic—get over it."

"Sweet, spill." Mac said, trying to keep everyone on the point.

"It'll be a big step, but why don't we create a new group of 12 under us? I mean, we are the Legendary 12—the top dogs that take care of all the business... but we won't last forever. However, with enough thought and effort into it, we can hand-pick the best 12 Bean Titans as a group to carry on for us." Sweet explained.

It was a bold suggestion, as some of the L12 were left silent after Sweet finished talking.

"That... could suffice." Dotty said. "That is, if we're all in on it..."

Everyone nodded affirmatively.

"That's a yes then." Sweet confirmed.

"All right. The twelve of us will have the biggest job to do. We have to come together on other conferences and decide on twelve Bean Titans very, very carefully and wisely. Consider everything that every Titan has done since they've first started." Dotty advised the group.

"Which means that we'll be spending some time in the Memory Room... great." Mac assumed in gloom.

"Mac, don't complain. We're doing this for the Titans." Kuku told her husband.

"I guess I can hold it off."

"Good luck with that. This whole thought process is gonna take exactly a month." Mystic anticipated.

Canyon checked the calendar. "June 3rd... that's my son's birthday."

"I'd tell you this later Canyon, but Felix truly has one of the best chances to be inducted." Sweet told him.

"He does?" Fancy exclaimed.

"Yes. But I digress, we have a job to do... this whole operation needs out undivided attention. Conference dismissed."

**/-/**

This chapter may not have been all that great, I know. Brace yourselves though, this entire part has no fights with evil. This will purely be about bringing the New 12 together.


	2. Survivor

Chapter 2 — Survivor

After the first week, the Legendary 12 have not told any of the Titans (including Titans X and Team Z) about their plans. They needed just about every minute of thought for the first half of the month, so they kept it a secret.

It is currently 7:00 PM in the Danger Room, where Sweet's sons wanted to train more with their newly taught powers.

"Hey Slowpoke!" called Bongo.

"What?" the sloth responded to his brother.

"Remember all those times when you thought you were better than the four of us?"

"Yeah... your point...?"

"I challenge you to a one-on-one fist fight."

Slowpoke lowered his eyebrows. "You can't be serious." he spoke lowly.

"I am, dude. I won't use any fire, so long as you don't use your laser." Bongo said.

Slowpoke knew that Bongo was always the one that would want to put himself in crazy situations. Sometimes, he gets in over his own head. Because of this, Slowpoke is not as cocky as he was when he was younger.

"Fine... but just know that you're gonna lose." Slowpoke warned him.

Bongo immediately started the duel, rushing in and attempting to punch Slowpoke in his face. His fist was blocked.

"This oughta be good." Cheeks thought, stopping to watch.

"I guess." Congo agreed.

"Boneheads." Mooch murmured.

"Cut that out. Who was the only one of the five of us that beat Wrinkle, huh?" Bongo questioned boldly.

"Don't take the credit for yourself!" Slowpoke yelled, pushing him away. "We all were there, and we even carried you out in victory!"

Bongo kept talking as he threw his arms and legs at his brother.

"Okay. I'll admit I got carried away just now... but there's one thing that bothers me though." Bongo said.

"What?"

"The fact that you're still alive after what happened to you when you fought Scurry. I'm not saying that you SHOULD be dead, and I don't know exactly what he did to you... but I just don't understand how anyone could still be breathing from all those wounds."

Slowpoke narrowed his eyes, distraught by those words. "Shut up." he muttered.

Bongo rushed in again. "For what?"

Slowpoke stopped Bongo's fists without looking. "The fact I'm still alive means something, man... and the 'I'm better than you' mindset I had proves why I really am better than you. Your will is weaker than mine!" Slowpoke claimed, throwing down Bongo's fists and then punching him point-blank in his chest.

The reaction to this punch made it seem like Slowpoke had super-strength, as Bongo flew back and dented the back wall of the Danger Chamber. Slowpoke did not intend on using that much strength at all; as a matter fact, he did not have it until now.

"What the hell?" Cheeks and Congo exclaimed at once.

"Someone's gonna have to fix that..." Mooch said calmly afterwards.

"Ow..." Bongo uttered weakly, peeling off of the wall and landing on the floor.

"Congo... what just happened?" Slowpoke asked, knowing that Congo was one of Dotty's apprentices.

The gorilla went up to the status boards and read the new information about Slowpoke. He picked up the mic. "Dude, you have the earth element and super-strength now." he announced.

"He does?" Sweet questioned, entering the Danger Room with Roam. He believed it when he saw the dent on the western wall of the Danger Chamber.

"Cool! That means I get to use Hippity's moves!" Slowpoke spoke joyously.

"Can I put it to the test?" Mooch asked, unsheathing his zanpakutō.

"All right. Let's see... Armor of the Mantle." Slowpoke beckoned, as a hardened rock armor formed on his body. Mooch swung his blade to use his Energy Slash, to see how durable the armor was. It did not break.

"Is that it, Sweet?" Roam asked.

"No. In order to test a new power, three trials must be given to the person with it." he answered.

"This is awesome." Slowpoke smiled and nodded.

"Hold on, bro. You have two more tests." Mooch reminded him.

"Whenever you're ready."

Mooch motioned his blade in a circle. "Transcend... Zen no Kyoudoutai." The metal on his zanpakutō turned into diamond. "Soshi: Stoneblade." The zanpakutō glowed in a golden brown color, and half of the diamond pieces on the blade turned into solid rock.

"Uh oh." Slowpoke uttered.

Roam entered the Chamber. "Use Meteor Crush against it... hopefully your arm won't get diced." he advised him.

"Let's see just how strong it is!" Mooch said, jumping into the air and descending on Slowpoke, aiming to clash his blade with the sloth's arm.

"Meteor Crush!" Slowpoke called out, grasping as much energy as possible in his right arm and forcing it against Mooch's sword.

This clash caused a quake inside the entire Danger Room, making Cheeks and Bongo shake while they were still inside of it.

"You pass." Mooch announced to his brother, seeing that his arm stayed intact.

"Wait a sec... I thought that Meteor Crush always pushed someone back." Slowpoke mentioned.

Mooch sheathed his zanpakutō, after it turned back to normal. "It's because of one of Zen no Kyoudoutai's special effects. No matter what form of element is thrown against me, I am automatically given the option to either negate elemental effects or manipulate them to use as a blast. Your Meteor Crush is an earth technique, and I cancelled its knockback effect completely. Still, I will admit that your earth powers are strong."

"No kidding! Ha ha!" Slowpoke boasted.

"You still got one more test." Roam said.

"All right then. Bring it."

"I will give the test, but not just yet... I'm gonna need your brothers and your father to support you from behind."

Sweet entered the Chamber, curious about what Roam had planned. "What are you gonna do?" he asked the buffalo.

Roam was backing up to the other side of the Chamber. "I heard about how he lived through immense pain a few years back... he nearly died. I won't kill him... I just wanna see how tough his spine is. If it is, then his having the earth element to use for himself is a good omen. I suggest that y'all support his back though, because I'm gonna charge into him, full force.

"Oh damn..." Slowpoke murmured in concern, for his own health. His father and brothers were in a line, holding his back.

Roam got on all-fours and kicked his feet backward off of the ground, like a bull seeing red. He ran in. "Don't worry, survivor... this'll only hurt for a DAY!" he told Slowpoke, making an impact on his gut. The entire line was pushed back to the other wall; that was how strong Roam's tackle is.

Slowpoke was struggling to cough up a bit of blood afterwards, having his air immediately stolen from him. His family released him.

"He passed." Roam said, leaving the Danger Room.

"You okay, son?" Sweet asked.

"No... my back hurts and my organs might have gotten rearranged!" he whined.

"I'll get him to the Healing Room then." Cheeks volunteered.

"I agree with Roam... he is a survivor." Mooch said.

"He cheated death again!" Bongo exclaimed.

Knowing that, this gave Sweet something to consider while thinking about placing Titans in the New 12. He left without mentioning another word, as it was still a covert plan in action.

**/-/**

Ah yes, Slowpoke... you can shake him, but you just can't break him. Will he be one of the chosen Titans in the New 12... after he heals from the big hit he took?

Find out later.


	3. Spreading the Word

Chapter 3 — Spreading the Word

The scene shifts to Team Z's island, now that half of the month of deliberation has passed. Over the two years, they have been living without trouble and growing as a family. They have only one strange occurence—Danielle Harrington's birth. Her parents, Dep and Fortress, were shocked not only from the fact that Danielle came to them at 3 years old (the Bean Titans had an age detector). They did not know it, but the reason behind it was because she actually aged like a real horse does, with a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years—meaning that for every year, at least three or four passes for her. Dep and Fortress were even more surprised that she looked similar to Bonnie, who is now Danielle's aunt. She was a feist (type of dog), light tan-skinned, and had dark brown ears like her, but Danielle had short brown hair while Bonnie had long red hair. No one knew why this happened, but at least they have their eighth member of Team Z.

At the current time, Team Z are in a training session in their "mistified" Danger Room. Derby (aging normally now, age 12) had just discovered his wood element and used his first Wood Burst towards Thunderbolt. The blast was a green beam lined with spiraling tree bark and many razor leaves.

"Whoa... Derby, do that again." Thunderbolt said, smiling.

"Like this?" he asked, demonstrating the Burst again.

"That's great! Durango, did you see that? ...Durango?" Thunderbolt called, seeing that Durango was looking down with a frown. Tina knocked on his head.

"Oh, yeah... that's cool." Durango said, as if he were snapped out of daydreaming.

Mina sensed his troubled mind. "What's wrong?"

Durango sighed when everyone gathered in. "It's those Acolytes I'm thinking about again. Two years ago, they took me and Tina and almost killed us all... now they can strike whenever they want. So why haven't they done it now?"

"Do you WANT them to do it?" Dep questioned.

Hearing that, Durango had a little change of heart. "Not what I meant, sorry. You know, I think that it's time we took some action."

"What do you mean?" Fortress asked, holding Danielle (age 5).

"We should take them down... for good." he suggested.

"You can't be serious... Shockmutt was a nightmare enough; she was nowhere near easy to beat!" Thunderbolt protested.

"Was she the 'evil' in the story, mom?" Danielle asked.

"Yes, Dani." Fortress replied.

"Who're the Acolytes anyway?" Derby wanted to know, as he did not really know them.

"They're a very powerful group of bad guys. There's 27 of them still, and they're all too tough for our own good." Tina told him.

"Whoa." he uttered in a bit of fear.

"The reason why I said it is because of what this Danger Room is doing for us. Since Derby put those Chaos Drives into the system, this Danger Room is better for our powers than the one at the Home Base."

"It is?" Dep interrogated, moving over to check the status boards. Durango was right, as Thunderbolt's power level was almost 9,000. "I guess so."

"That'll have to wait." Sweet's voice was heard, before Team Z saw him in the back of the Danger Room.

"Sweet! How'd you get in here; did you know about the Danger Room, too?" Durango asked.

"Yeah. There's a teleporter behind the north wall. What's with the rainbow mist around here?"

"When we got here two years ago, Derby put the Chaos Drives into the system. This mist came afterwards, and it's been like a power boost for us." Thunderbolt explained.

Sweet understood. "Hey, whatever floats your boat. But I digress... the real reason why I came here is to tell you that on June 3rd, we'll be choosing 12 Bean Titans as the next running force under the Legendary 12."

This shocked Team Z (except Danielle, who was new to all of this).

"Wh-What? No way. Does that include us?" Durango asked.

"It would've, until I heard about what this room is doing for you guys. If you guys are planning on taking on the Acolytes, you're gonna need to spend some more time in here. That includes Derby and little Danielle as well. I can sense your powers now... and I believe that you can beat them all. This also means that you yourselves will be a powerful force aiding the Titans as a whole, so there's really no reason to single everyone else out and put the eight of you in the New 12. Team Z is what you guys are now, and this team—this **family** is what you make it. Remember that." Sweet told them.

"We will." Thunderbolt responded on behalf of Team Z, putting his fist on his chest towards Sweet—it was the Titans' Salute. "June 3rd... we'll be there to see who the lucky 12 are."

"Excellent. Now, I must go and tell Titans X about this news as well. The rest of the Bean Titans don't know about any of this, so don't tell them just yet. Godspeed."

Sweet exited the Danger Room via secret teleporter, en route to the Moon Base.

Durango moved forward a few steps and then stopped to look at the rest of Team Z. "After that day, we hit this place hard... capiche?" Durango proposed. The group was in favor of their first big task: getting rid of the Acolytes.

* * *

The Moon Base has handled itself pretty well, with Titans X in its care. It was their new home after their headquarters was destroyed years ago, after their overwhelming casualty.

Only nine members are remaining (all male): Lucky (now age 50), Hershey (48), Ralph (45), Charlie (21), Frisbee (39), Boomer (24), Max (17), Marvin (17), and Ivan (22). They are still looking for new members, but it is hard to manage the base while managing the team. Times are quite straining for them, but at least they have no real enemies.

Why? The Acolytes forced BFP's team to have the same power and mindset as they do, making them Acolytes in the process. However, when they struck the immortality deal with Wrinkle's Syndicate, those affiliated with BFP were forced to be sacrificed in order for the "ritual" to work.

Neverthess, this is Titans X's living: supporting the Titans League in any way possible and rarely leaving the Moon Base.

"Everything here is finished except the Danger Room." Charlie started. "We've tried fifty things to make this Danger Room the best there is, and it still doesn't look like anything's changed!"

"Settle down." suggested Frisbee. "We'll find a way to soup this room up eventually."

"Waiting on the answer is the bad news." Boomer generalized.

"You just need some good news, then." Sweet's voice was heard, from down the hall.

"Sweet, my good friend!" Lucky happily greeted, shaking hands with him and giving him a quick hug.

"How's it going, Lucky?" Sweet asked.

"The usual: thinking and searching."

"That's good."

"Do you have good news?" Ralph asked.

"I must assume so. Come June 3rd, a New 12 will be announced in the Bean Titans."

"You can't be serious...!" Max and Marvin simultaneously exclaimed.

"Oh, but I am. I'll explain all the details later. I'd love it you all could come and see who the lucky 12 will be." Sweet proposed.

"We'd love to, but..." Ivan started.

"We have a big operation on our hands too. We want to be able to help you guys, but we are weak right now... and if we did try to fight, even Wrinkle could destroy us. That's why we're spending so much time on this Danger Room; it's not just for us, it's for every present and future member of any organization in the Titans." Hershey explained.

"I fully understand, and I give kudos to you as well. However, would you still like to consider watching the inauguration from here, if Dotty patches you through our system?" Sweet questioned.

"That'll work." Frisbee replied.

"Great! That's all I came up here to tell you all. I'll see you later. Take care!" Sweet went on his way out of the Moon Base.

"A New 12... time flies, I tell ya." Lucky reminisced.

**/-/**

More to come. :)


	4. Sudden Movement

**AN: This will be a short chapter.**

Chapter 4 — Sudden Movement

_Current time: May 27, high noon, in the Home Base._

The PA system's mic is now audible.

"Attention all Bean Titans..." Sweet called, grabbing the attention of every hero in the Tower. "Listen up, because this is a very important announcement. There's no sign of trouble anywhere at the time, so don't worry about that. **_*sigh*_** For almost a month now, I and the rest of the Legendary 12 have been pondering over a crucial matter. As you know, Wrinkle and his Syndicate are immortal, meaning that no matter how many times we defeat them, they will keep coming back. Eventually, they may even defeat us, with the Legendary 12 included. Truthfully, we don't know how much longer we'll last... but to ensure that there is a lasting continuity in the Titans, we came to a decision three weeks ago and wanted to tell you when the time was right. This is that time. By the end of the day on next week, June 3rd, we will have made our decisions about a leading group under the Legendary 12... the New 12."

Hearing this, every Bean Titan is ecstatic, as everyone has a chance to earn a spot in the next big group of leaders.

"Everyone here qualifies," Sweet continued, "adults, teens, and kids. We won't say anything else yet until then, so be prepared for what happens." The mic is turned off.

Once the Bean Titans heard Sweet's voice stop, every one of them darted to the Danger Room to get a chance to train. It was a demolition race, as many of them literally pushed each other to get there first.

Hippie was the first to get to the Danger Room's door, but since he had super-speed, he wanted to wait until he saw enough Titans on both sides of the hall. When the time was right, he opened the door and found his father and Mac defending the Danger Room as immovable blocks. Once everyone was lined up with their sights on the training facility, Mystic phased through the wall (with Floppity's help) and stood in the middle of the hall. Apparently, the Legendary 12 saw all of this coming.

"Enough!" Mystic shouted, using a great deal of telekinesis to bound every single Bean Titan to the walls.

Dotty stepped out. "Need I remind you all that there are 12 other bases around the globe?"

Spunky followed. "Yeah. We know this is big news for you all, but be sensible. Take the teleporter to the other bases, and use those Danger Rooms, except for the one at the Antarctic Base."

"May I ask why?" Mooch inquired calmly, while against the wall.

"That's reserved for the 12 Titans who will be chosen next week." Fleece answered her son.

"And just so you know, we've been judging every one of you since the start of May. So unless you want our views on you all to be different from what they are now, I suggest you divide and conquer." Mac advised them, and they all heeded his (and the other leaders') words.

Things calmed down after a moment, after everyone dispersed. Felix was among the few who stayed at the Home Base. He was shocked that the announce date was also his 13th birthdate. He began to have a bit of doubt.

"What's wrong?" asked Bonnie (age 12), his canine girlfriend. She had a Australian/English accent.

"I have a nack for getting what I want on my birthday... for this deal, I don't think that'll be the case." he responded.

"That's not true, Fee-lee. Sure, anyone can be picked... but you want to be a leader, and you train hard everyday to get there. I say you have a good chance."

"I guess you're right... as long as you're with me if I do get chosen."

"Huh?" Bonnie responded with an inflection in her voice.

"Who knows? Maybe they'll pick someone on smarts, and you have that down pat." Felix said.

"Maybe. We'll just see what happens." Bonnie uttered.

**/-/**


	5. The Dawning of the New 12

**AN: Just as a reminder, the closets in the Suites grant the Titans to have any piece of clothing they desire. This first section of the chapter (before the first line divider) is just a cameo—an extra scene.**

_Remember, this (Italic) text pertains to the inner thoughts or mental transmission of the characters._

Chapter 5 — The Dawning of the New 12

_Time: 8:00 AM, June 3rd._

Felix's alarm clock goes off. He yawns.

"Woo, I'm 13 now..." he claimed quietly, getting up. "Hmm, I feel taller..."

Felix then went to his closet door to check his height; he was four and a half feet before.

"No way! Three inches?" Felix exclaimed, seeing that he was indeed 4'9" tall.

After throwing his clothes on (with his new size), he darted out of his room and ran down the hall to tell his parents. He was wearing a sleeveless black top with camo shorts.

There was a sign on their door. Felix read it, and it said that they and the rest of the Legendary 12 were going to be in the Theater for a majority of the day for the preparations of the New 12 Inauguration.

_"Oh... that's okay, I guess. I gotta show Bonnie though."_

Speaking of which, Fetch was the first to be awake before his siblings (Tracker and Bonnie). He wanted to try and wake Bonnie up first, since he knew that Tracker would be a bit upset for not getting enough sleep. Fetch unveiled Bonnie's bed sheets, and got a surprise...

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-WHOA! Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Fetch freaked, seeing a female black doberman (4'8" tall) laying in the bed.

She opened her eyes, hearing Fetch's voice. "Fetch, what are you talking about?" she asked.

"How do you know my name?"

"Um... Earth to Fetch? I'm your sister, Bonnie!" she revealed.

Fetch raised his eyebrows and then lowered them. "Are you sure? Maybe you should check the mirror..."

She got out of the bed and walked over to the mirror on the wall. She saw her now half-black, half-light brown skin, lighter shade of hair (burnt orange), and taupe eyes. Her breasts also expanded by a considerable size. She not only got taller, she transformed.

"AAAHHHH!" she squealed loudly, waking Tracker up.

"WHOA, WHO DA FU—?" he blurted out, popping up on his back.

"How did this happen...?" Bonnie wondered, while starting to like the new her.

"Bonnie?" Tracker guessed, confused. He could still recognize her voice and accent.

"Yes, it's me—you're not dreaming!" she told him.

"Okay, I believe you! Sheesh." Tracker groaned, walking into the bathroom.

"Fee-lee has got to see this." Bonnie uttered, getting dressed (in her new sizes) and going to see her boyfriend. She put on a light pink sundress that showed most of her back unprotected, along with light blue short shorts.

Fetch chuckled, hearing her pet name for Felix.

/\/\/\/\/\

After a moment, they crossed paths, but Felix did not recognize her initially. She looked good to him, though he did not know her.

"Hey." he said to her, smiling as he quickly scanned her top to bottom while passing by.

"Wait!" she called to him.

Felix stopped and turned around. "What is it?"

"Happy Birthday, Fee-lee!"

Felix was stunned and caught by surprise. "B-Bonnie? How... wh-what happened? _You look so cute right now..."_

"I don't know, but you just got two birthdays presents now: your new look and mine."

"Yeah. Oh man... what's next?"

Bonnie blushed. "Um..."

"What?" he asked.

"Close your eyes. I have a present." she told him.

Felix shut his eyes, expecting to receive a gift. It was a big one. Bonnie initiated their first lip contact kiss, something that no Titan thought would ever happen—a feline and a canine kissing. It had to have been different and wrong, but not for Felix and Bonnie. It felt right to them, not to mention enjoyable. He put his hands on Bonnie's bare back while sustaining the kiss; he brought her in close as she was really warm. Her body heat was because of the moment that they were having, and her happiness was shown even more with her long tail wagging. Soon enough, they stopped their kiss and noticed that their tails were wrapped around each other, still in a sort of "kiss".

"Oh... I hope that doesn't turn into a habit." Felix said, bending over to untangle his tail.

To stop him, Bonnie embraced him again, feeling compelled to be held by him now. She gave a short "Akamaru-like" happy bark.

"Bonnie?" he called.

"Oh, sorry..." she replied, slowly backing away.

"No, no... I want the closeness. Where'd that bark come from?"

"The love." she answered.

* * *

Tensions and angst began to run rampart in some of the minds of the Bean Titans, as the day was nearly at its end. It was almost 7:00 PM, and everyone was more than ready to hear the invite to the Theater. There was only room for 12 Titans, and nearly every one of them wanted in.

"All Titans report to the Theater. The induction is about to start." said Sweet via PA system.

The Bean Titans immediately made their way to the base of the Tower, to the entrance doors of the Theater. Team Z was already sitting down in the front row, and the big screen was in the back, displaying Titans X, who were also witnessing this event.

The platform (that was usually for the Legendary 12's decision-making) was visible on the stage, and there was another angled on stage left. It was for the New 12.

The Legendary 12 were standing backstage.

"They're all here." Dotty said.

"Are we ready, Sweet?" Mac asked.

"Yes. Everything is in place now. Let's do it." he replied.

The Legendary 12 emerged from backstage and took their places on their platform. The Titans got quiet, awaiting the leaders' next words.

"Bean Titans..." Dotty started.

"Team Z..." Spunky followed.

"And Titans X..." Fancy said.

"Welcome to the induction ceremony of the New 12." Canyon said. Everyone cheered.

"The 12 of us—" Floppity resumed.

"—have put our minds together on this." Hippity finished after her.

"We've thought on this for a whole month." Kuku told the Titans.

"The time was worth it." Mac said.

"The 12 Bean Titans that we've come to a decision on have been selected on the highest and most important values." Aurora explained.

"On their leadership ability, their resilience in battle..." Mystic mentioned.

"And their overall behavior and drive." followed Fleece.

Sweet rose and stood in front of the platform. "With all of that said, it brings me to finally announce the 12 Titans who will be the next group of leaders under us."

A cloud of anxiousness permeated the air in the Theater.

"Traditionally, we'd start from the bottom and go up, but we want to kick it off and begin by announcing the **leader** of the New 12. The Bean Titan who we believe shows the drive to be the best leader of the group is..."

Certain Bean Titans looked at Sly, who was already commanding captain of the Bean Titans under the L12. They presumed that he had the advantage. Sly had his eyes closed.

"Mooch Summers." Sweet announced.

A shock went through the minds of some of the Bean Titans who thought that Sly would be the leader, even though they cheered for anyone who was chosen. Mooch was one of them, and he was sitting by his best friend.

"Me? But I thought Sly..." Mooch uttered.

"Hey." Sly said. "They thought over it long enough, and they chose you. I can't argue with them, so congrats." Sly said, shaking his hand and hugging him—it was a sign of gratitude and respect.

"Come on up, son." Sweet said.

Before Mooch made his way there, his brothers and Hippie all noogied him and Lucy gave him a quick kiss. He stepped on the stage.

"Congratulations, son. You've earned it the most." Sweet told him, before hugging him.

Mooch stood in the center of the western platform.

"Moving on... the lieutenant. This Titan holds close supporting leadership overall to the leader and to the group as a whole. That Titan is... Sly Fox." Sweet announced.

"Awesome." Sly uttered, not overly excited, until Megan (sitting by him) winks at him then hugs him. Sly stood on the right side of Mooch, pounding fists with him.

Hippie smiled because Mooch and Sly were already chosen. The three of them were always at the top of the pack, and because of this, he automatically presumed that he was next.

Sweet continued. "Congratulations. As you will all notice from here on out, the remaining ten seats will be chosen based on special conditions, so listen closely because those conditions may not relate to you. I will use emphasis so you'll know. Without further ado, here is the third seat. The Titan who **wields the greatest ability to control all of their abilities is**... Hoppity Shizune."

"Me?" Hoppity exclaimed, on her way to the stage.

Hippie was a bit upset because there were special requirements that had to be met for the rest of the spots. He hoped that the right criteria would come along.

"Yes you, Hoppity." Sweet told her. "You are the most multi-talented Bean Titan here, and you can control all of your powers excellently. Let's see if I can name all your powers: **_(quickly)_** invisibility, ghost phasing, flight, Black Magic, wizardry, light, and psychic ability... **_*catches his breath*_** wow. If I had 10 bucks for every person who couldn't recite your powers, I'd be one filthy monkey. But I digress, congratulations."

"Thank you." Hoppity responded, going to take her place on the platform. She stood on the left side of Mooch.

"The fourth seat is a special position. It's set for the **head healer** of the group, and that puts out many of you. The Titan who gets the fourth seat is... Ewey Stratus."

The lamb smiled, hearing the cheers directed at her and the honor bestowed upon her. Fleece personally congratulated her step-sister when she stepped on the stage. Ewey took her place next to Sly.

"Thank you, Fleece." Sweet said. "Moving on, with the fifth seat. This goes to **the powerhouse** of the group. That Titan is... Slowpoke Summers."

"Yeah! Get some!" Slowpoke boasted. Bongo, Congo and Cheeks stacked themselves on him to test his strength, and it was true, as he lifted all three of them up with his arms. After putting them down, he went to the stage, hugged his father and stood next to Hoppity.

"All right, Titans. Here's where it starts getting tricky; the sixth seat is next. Like Canyon in the Legendary 12, this group needs someone to be a **crazy risk-taker**. This Titan will be... Bongo Summers."

"Ballix!" Bongo exclaimed, using his favorite substitute word for "awesome". To prove how insane he was, he backflipped his way onto the stage and stopped, standing next to Ewey.

"You are crazy..." Ewey said with a light smile, on the verge of laughing.

"I know." Bongo replied.

"The third son is up here on the platform. Congratulations. We're halfway there everyone. The seventh seat goes to the Titan whose **versatility** helps them on their goals. The seventh seat goes to..." At this point, the Titans began to imitate a drumroll. "Ears Briggs." Sweet announced.

"Yes!" the rabbit uttered joyously.

"The man with the 2-year undefeated streak... it's paid off for you. Congrats." Sweet said.

(The positioning pattern on the platform is evident enough.)

"Next is the eighth seat. This one goes to the one Titan who basically **has not only a huge potential, but also a dream**, and they won't stop at anything to get it. That Titan is... Felix Walker."

The leopard is shocked. "Man, the presents just keep on comin'..." Felix murmured, on his way to the stage. Big praise was directed at him when the Titans saw his growth spurt.

"Whoa. I don't know what happened, but you grew a lot, man. You were about my stomach height, and now you're around the top of my chest. Congrats, anyways." Sweet said, high-fiving Felix.

Canyon and Fancy were amazed at his growth as well.

"Well then, on to the ninth seat. We're getting down to the wire now. What's to become of the group without the **brainy** one? The most intelligent Titan that is fit for the New 12 is... Bonnie Harrington." Sweet announced.

Her brothers immediately hug Bonnie, who was shocked to hear her name called. As she went onstage, even bigger noise was given to her because of her look. Dep (her remaining brother), Spunky and Dotty were the most surprised.

"Whoa, again!" exclaimed Sweet. "Yes, you've grown, but **transformed?** Now I've seen everything! Oh well... you're the youngest Bean Titan in the group, so use that mind that your mom gave you. Congratulations."

"Thank you." Bonnie responded.

"The tenth seat. We thought that we'd pick someone who we wouldn't necessarily call calm—because that's Mooch. This Titan is **well-balanced and has a sense of serenity**. That Titan is... Lucy Cantínis Summers."

Lucy was happy to be announced, but confused at the reason why. "I'm serene...?" she asked Sweet when she got to him.

"Well, that's for serenity. The reason why I said well-balanced is because that you're the first Bean Titan to distinguish yourself using BOTH the light and dark elements." Sweet explained. "On behalf of your parents, congratulations."

"Thanks!"

Sweet continued after Lucy took her place. "**_*whistles*_** We've made our way to the eleventh seat everyone. (The Titans League cheers.) Truthfully, this one was a random pick on the Legendary 12's account; we didn't know what to do but to pick the Titan who we felt was **the most restrained**. This Titan will gain freedom... Christina Fox."

It was true. Throughout most of her life, Christina had to deal with hurt and weakness. Sly still has a bit of hostility towards her, but it has not stopped her from living.

_"What's her deal?"_ Sly thought, seeing tears in his sister's eyes.

"Whoa now, okay... I'm sorry if I—" Sweet began to say, before being hugged by the skunk.

"Thank you..." Christina said.

"It's alright. Congratulations and you're welcome." Sweet replied.

On the way to her spot, she kissed Slowpoke, who then held her close to try and calm her down.

Sweet sighed, and the rest of the L12 moved off the stage. "Now... the twelfth and final seat in the New 12... will be bouted for in an 8-man tournament."

The Bean Titans were startled. Titans X was transferred to the Danger Room.

"WHAT A TWIST!" Durango uttered, sitting back in his seat and making a funny face while throwing his arms around.

Suddenly, every Titan appeared around the Danger Room, courtesy of Mac. Recently, Dotty expanded the control center's space in which the entire Titans League could spectate from all around the Danger Room.

"We couldn't decide between the eight of these people, so we'll let a tourney decide it. Dotty, Titans X is patched through, right?" Sweet said.

"Yep." she replied.

"All right. Titans, the matches are as follows: Megan vs. Fortune, Cheeks vs. Gigi,—"

"WHAAAAAT?" was the response from some of the Bean Titans, as they knew that Gigi could never get past the first round in any tournament she has been in. She was not really weak, but more at unlucky. Sweet continued.

"Congo vs. Tiny, and Hippie vs. Tracker. Megan and Fortune, go for it."

**/-/**

A bout for the final New 12 spot is at hand. Find out who earns it in the next chapter.


	6. Last Chance: Taken

Chapter 6 — Last Chance: Taken

_(Stage 1) MATCH 1: _Megan vs. Fortune.

"Regen." Fortune whispered. The White Magic spell slowly healed her as she took damage; it was shown by magenta particles of light around her body.

Megan already knew this strategy even without her Sharingan, so she conserved it. As a matter of fact, she wanted to challenge herself and not use it at all in this match. She started the match, charging at Fortune with kunai knives in both hands.

"Come on." Fortune murmured.

Megan suddenly disappeared and then used Double Team. 10 clones of her surrounded Fortune then.

"Rains of Light, fall!" Fortune beckoned many thin rays of light to descend on the entire Chamber, taking out every clone of Megan. "They all were clones?"

"Yep." Megan's voice was heard directly behind her. The squirrel reappeared in an instant, kicking Fortune into the air. She planned on using the Lions Barrage.

However, since Fortune has psychic ability, she was able to detect Megan's next move—the kick to Fortune's sternum. Fortune caught Megan's leg and pulled her to where they were laterally facing each other directly in midair; Megan was now above her.

_"Right where I want you."_ Fortune said internally, starting her plan to win the match. Fortune's left eye gained a glowing red bird-shaped symbol called Geass. It allowed her to manipulate her target's mind to her own desires. She demonstrated this when Megan suddenly fell to the ground after looking at the Geass. Fortune commanded Megan to stop attacking and lie down on one spot while she finished her.

"Checkmate. Northswain's Glow!" Fortune called out, summoning five towers of light to emerge from the ground under and around Megan—each one directed to illuminate her.

After the light faded, Megan was nowhere in plain sight. Fortune thought she had the match won, until she realized that Megan's power was still in the air, and it was large.

Megan suddenly appeared from the top of the Chamber, dropping on Fortune with her best fire attack—the Dragon Flame Jutsu.

Fortune was caught off guard, being swallowed up in the intense heat and being depleted of her energy. Megan was the victor.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

_MATCH 2:_ Cheeks vs. Gigi.

Various Bean Titans foresaw the outcome of this match before the two of them entered the chamber. It was already proven: Gigi has lost in the first match of any tournament she participated in because of unlucky circumstances. Before the induction, Gigi decided to train up, but she forgot to restore her energy afterwards.

Now that she is in a match that could put her closer to the 12th spot in the New 12, things are not looking too good for Gigi.

To start the match, Gigi runs into Cheeks, unaware that he had previously picked up webbing skills.

"Let's do this." Cheeks uttered, shooting web lines at her feet and grasping the webs to gain control of her legs. He pulled on the webs, lifting Gigi off of the ground and into the air. Cheeks slammed her on the ground behind him, and she did not get up after that.

_"It's over?"_ Cheeks wondered, seeing the poodle lie motionless. He went over to her and moved her to the side of her body.

"Forget it, you win...!" she told him, refusing his help.

And with that, Cheeks was the winner.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

_MATCH 3: _Congo vs. Tiny.

"Hey, this match isn't gonna go like that, comprende?" Tiny said before the match started.

_"I know that already, let's just get on with it."_ Congo responded in his mind. He ran in towards her.

"Iron Tail." Tiny said, whipping her tail at Congo, smacking him into the air.

Congo recovered by bouncing off of the ceiling and propelling towards Tiny with two long cords of web. He threw them at the ground (in an "X") and left a space where Tiny was standing.

"Gotcha." Congo uttered, grasping his hands to command the webs to seize her arms and legs. "It's gonna end like this, Tiny. Towering Funnel!" At his words, a pillar of white webbing bursted out from the ground beneath Tiny, consuming her whole while causing great damage. When Congo released his hands, the tower of silk dispersed and left Tiny in the middle of the Chamber, who suffocated from the narrow prison she was in. Congo advanced.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

_MATCH 4:_ Hippie vs. Tracker.

Hippie had the Sword of the Storm and the Blade of the Nebula on his back.

"You gonna 'Wu' your way to victory, Hippie?" Tracker asked.

"Well, starting on the next match. For you, no." the rabbit replied, dropping his swords plus the Crest of the Condor, the elemental Wu that upgraded anything wind-based.

"That's new..." Tracker murmured.

"Myself, Ears, Nibbler, and Nibbly can beat someone without using Shen Gong Wu as much. I can prove that, so don't misjudge me. As a matter of fact, I can end this match in one move."

"I'd like to see you try!" Tracker said, running toward the bunny ready to use Sky Attack. Tracker was the only dog who was able to use a couple of flying moves because his ears are long.

"Wudai Star, Wind!" Hippie called out, as his body then turned into a silhouette, but with blue lining on the edges. "Helio Tornado!" At this command, Hippie swiftly turned into a "pod", energized by violent wind. It was the wind form of Ears's Tornami Twister, for Hippie used the power of the Sword of the Storm before the match began.

He propelled himself into Tracker, forcing the dog to the back of the Chamber within a couple of seconds. Since he had taken so much pressure from the pod and the wall, Tracker was unable to recover. Hippie advanced.

* * *

_(Semifinals) MATCH 1:_ Megan vs. Cheeks.

Cheeks immediately started the match, shooting several strings of web at Megan.

She dodged them with ease, after activating her Sharingan. "I was watching the last match, Cheeks... that strategy won't work." she told him.

"Grr..." Cheeks uttered, before unleashing countless web lines around the entire Chamber. After a minute, he stopped, and Megan was still unharmed.

"You done?" Megan asked.

"Gotcha. Entangle!" Cheeks called out, slamming his hands together to command every bit of silk to crush Megan.

The squirrel smirked. _"Big mistake..."_ she thought, using Flash Step to grab a few of the web lines before escaping the entire cluster. Megan had disappeared.

"Where'd did—_what?_" Cheeks said, finding the silk wires around his body, completely immobilizing him.

Megan held on to one of them with her teeth, while using hand signs. "It's over! Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Upon her words, a thin wave of fire consumed Cheeks and made him suffer major damage.

He had enough of the fight. Megan won.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

_MATCH 2:_ Congo vs. Hippie.

"Dude, why didn't you get in with Mooch and Sly already?" Congo asked.

"That's what I'm tryin' to figure out. I don't know what I did." Hippie replied.

"Honestly, I think you deserve it. The three of you are too good not to be together in the group. So... I forfeit." Congo announced.

"Are you sure, son?" Sweet questioned through the PA System.

"Yeah."

"All right then. Hippie advances."

* * *

_**FINAL MATCH**:_ Megan vs. Hippie. (The match began as soon as Megan was replenished from her previous match.)

This is their third match against each other, and it will be the tiebreaker match, as both combatants have beaten each other once.

Megan's first opponent in the Bean Titans was Rocket, who is swift on his flight speed as Hippie is on his feet. She thought that if she could sense his quick movements like she did with Rocket, the match should not be a problem. Unfortunately, Hippie is on a completely different level than Rocket is. Not only is Hippie quicker, but he is also more skilled and diverse in his own abilities. This would be a tricky match because both Megan and Hippie know each other's strengths well.

After fifteen minutes, both of them (now exhausted) wanted to end the match in any way possible.

"I thought that I'd never have to use this... but it's the only way this match will end." Hippie murmured. He assumed his Wudai Mode again and then put on the Crest of the Condor, enhancing his wind abilities. Next, his personal Shen Gong Wu (Sword of the Storm and Blade of the Nebula) leviatated around him. The Crest of the Condor glowed in the same color as Hippie's outlining, which caused both swords to merge together to form a new Wu—the Spear of the Hurricane. The Crest transformed into the hilt of the spear, placed in between and connecting both of the sharp-edged Wu. Yes, it was a double-edged spear.

"I have to win this..." Megan said to herself. She then pushed the limits of her Sharingan past the maximum point. She did not know it, but her pupils changed once again.

"This is finished! Spear of the Hurricane!" Hippie shouted, spinning the spear once and then swinging it once, fiercely. Upon the swing, a gigantic vortex of air began to violently vibrate the entire Chamber.

_"Got it!"_ Megan mentally uttered, successfully reading the power of the air coming at her. With Megan also being a Blue Mage, she was prepared to counter with a move of her own. "Summoning Jutsu, Blade Dance!" A weasel, wielding a scythe, jumped into the massive force of wind with a cyclone of razor sharp air of its own.

It was a clash like no one had ever seen before—it was enough to break through the protective glass of the Danger Room.

"GET DOWN!" Mystic warned the Titans in attendance. Every one of them got down on the floors around the spectating areas to avoid any casualty.

Soon, the wind settled down. Some of the watching Titans got up to see what happened inside of the Chamber. Hippie was motionless, unable to compete any further... Megan was on her knees, taking steady breaths with her arms crossed, both covering the cuts that she had taken. They were shocked to see that Hippie had lost, yet elated to see that Megan earned the 12th spot in the New 12.

* * *

After Hippie was escorted to the Healing Room, the other 11 New 12 members gathered around Megan so that she would not have to use so much effort to move. Sweet, as leader of the Bean Titans, personally stood before them to congratulate their efforts. Ewey healed Megan as he talked.

"Congratulations to the twelve of you. You are hereby worthy to be named the New 12. Rest up guys, because your journey begins tomorrow morning at eight. Pack up too—you're gonna be gone for about a month so that you can get accustomed to each other. Any questions?"

"Can we party?" Bongo asked.

"No. See you then." Sweet replied, leaving the Danger Room. Sly followed him.

"Good going, banana-for-brains!" Slowpoke said, putting his brother in a headlock.

"Where'd Lucy go?" Christina asked.

"She's going to bed. Have you not heard the saying: 'The early bird gets the worm?'" Mooch responded calmly, while watching Felix and Bonnie dance around the Chamber.

"I like Lucy's idea. 'Night guys!" Hoppity said, exiting the Danger Room.

Ewey looked at Megan after she healed her. "Megan, your Sharingan eyes... they're different."

"What do they look like?" she asked.

"Like edged flowers, basically. One from the new lines I see, and the other from the red color." Ears told her. This was Megan's Mangekyo Sharingan, and she did not have to kill anyone to gain it.

Megan shifted her eyes back to normal (gray).

"This is gonna be some team..." Mooch murmured after monitoring his team, walking off to get his rest.

**/-/**


	7. Becoming Anew

Chapter 7 — Becoming Anew

The next morning, the Legendary 12 sent the New 12 on their first duty as a team. They were to live and train together on unknown territory for a month so that they could get accustomed to each other, not just grow. They were dropped off at the Antarctic Base, and from then on, matters were in their hands.

Getting inside the base below the ice, the New 12 unpacked anything they needed to... at least, a couple of them did. Mooch and Lucy were already ready to go in the Danger Room.

"Everyone else is kind of slow, aren't they?" Lucy questioned.

Mooch opened one of his mahogany eyes to her, while sitting Indian-style, meditating. "Kind of?" he replied.

"Yeah, you're right." she said. "Does that help? Meditating?"

"Try it and see." Mooch said.

The goose sat like Mooch and closed her eyes. "Ohmmm..." she hummed.

Mooch lowered one of the corners of his mouth. "You don't have to that..." he told her, smiling lightly.

**_Meanwhile..._**

"I'm going." Christina told her brother, after unpacking in a room together.

Sly just looked at her as she walked out of the room. He thought back to yesterday, after Sweet congratulated the New 12.

_Flashback_

_"Sweet." Sly called the leader._

_"Yes?"_

_"I know you put a lot of thought into choosing us, but can I know why I wasn't the leader?"_

_Sweet paused. "I'll admit that you have the most experience leading a team, and it's not that Mooch is any better than you either. Here's the thing: remember when we said that we were judging on **everything**?"_

_"Yeah...?"_

_"The thing that got you was Christina." Sweet told him, closing his eyes._

_"What do you mean?" Sly asked._

_"Let me get to the point. You have to treat her better. Scaly, believe it or not, was right long before he turned against us. You're the older brother, and you have to take better care of your sister more... no ifs, ands, or buts about it."_

_End Flashback_

"How do I start...?" Sly asked himself aloud. He never really took care of Christina much, let alone treat her the right way. The two of them were always distant from each other.

"By following me." Megan said, after watching Sly daydream. "Come on, we gotta get to the Danger Room."

Sly solemnly followed her.

* * *

"It's too cold in here..." Ewey murmured, shivering while inside the Danger Room with the rest of the team.

"This is Antarctica." Bonnie pointed out, standing nearby with Felix.

"Yeah... what else is new?" he followed.

"I guess." Ewey said. "Wait... you guys aren't cold?"

"I'm not. In fact, I'm loving this view!" Ears claimed, while laying down and benching Hoppity.

"You know, I actually could sleep like this." Hoppity murmured.

"Forget sleeping... I'm pumped right now!" Bongo shouted, eager to get started.

"Finally! That makes two of us!" Slowpoke said. He and Bongo continue to pep each other up.

"This is getting nowhere..." Lucy stated.

"You're right about that." spoke Gigi, who entered the Danger Room uninvited.

"Gigi? Why're you here?" asked Mooch.

The poodle sighed. "I was sent to monitor you all. At first, I just wanted time to myself... oh well, I guess it's my punishment for sucking so bad."

"Don't take it too hard." Mooch told her, before turning to his group to start their first session. "You heard the Legendary 12, guys: we have to train to be the next best group, so that means we'll have to get used to each other."

"And how do we arrange that?" Christina asked.

"Spar with people that we aren't used to, and that includes couples. Me, I'm already used to Sly and my brothers."

"...I still don't get it." the skunk replied.

"It's simple. We pick a match with someone that we haven't really been against." Megan explained, walking towards Slowpoke. "Like so..." she then said, punching the sloth in his gut and then kicking him backward.

"Well, don't mind me... I just stay out of the—" Gigi paused, before being hit by one of Bongo's fireballs. "—way." she finished, getting up and out of the Danger Room.

Bongo rolled on the floor, laughing and nearly screeching like the chimpanzee that he really is at what he did.

"Jerk..." Bonnie murmured. She then manifested a magical yellow aura, which signified that she knew Time Magic such as Haste, Slow, and Stop. "Someone needs to shut up. Stop." she said, as a few rings of pale green light span around Bongo and stopped within a few seconds, halting Bongo's sound and motion altogether. Bonnie then went up and kicked him in the back of his head once.

"Is he gonna feel that?" Felix asked.

"When the spell wears off." Bonnie answered.

Christina walked up to her brother, knowing that she was not used to sparring with him.

"Um, what are you doing? I'm used to you already." Sly told her. He was then slapped by her tail.

"No you're not... you're just avoiding me. You don't even know that I'm a saboteur."

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!" Sly responded, raising his voice.

"It's in her stink bombs, dude." Ears clued him in.

"Those? Does she pull them from her ass?" Sly questioned, before he was punched in the face by his sister; he flew back about ten yards.

"I FORGE them, you dipwad!"

Mooch sighed then reassumed his meditant position. "We're still getting nowhere." he mentioned aloud.

Chaos was about break loose in the New 12 until...

"HEY!" Gigi yelled from the entrance of the Danger Room. Everyone stopped and looked at her (except Bongo, who could not at the time). Her French accent kicked in as well (shown by bold and italic text). "I'm no expert on _**this**_, but I do know _**that**_ training ain't the only way to build a team. If you guys keep going like _**this**_, you're not just gonna disappoint _**the**_ Legendary 12... you're gonna disappoint every last member of _**the**_ entire Titans League. It's hard to admit, but I believe _**the**_ Legendary 12 when they say that they aren't gonna last too much longer. And who'll be there to lead _**the**_ Bean Titans? Certainly not me, and definitely not you twelve, in _**the**_ state you're in right now. How about stopping _**the**_ noise and just communicate like normal heroes?"

The New 12 were silenced by Gigi's message, after she left. The one Bean Titan that could be dubbed as the weakest link in the organization had just made a very valid point to the new team. There was no way that they could assume leadership if there is no solid foundation between the twelve of them.

"That came... from Gigi, of all people." Lucy murmured, utterly speechless from the sudden lesson.

"And she's right." Hoppity added.

"So what say you now, leader?" Ewey asked.

"Gather in... and someone use a Chronos Tear on Bongo." he requested. Bonnie used the Stop-curing item.

"Hahahaha... wait, what's so funny?" Bongo questioned himself. He felt the sudden pain from the kick that Bonnie previously gave him.

Slowpoke grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "Get in here!" he said, pulling him into the conference circle.

"We've already established this, but Gigi's right guys: we need to suck it up, focus, and become a real team. I have a plan for our time now, so that things can go a lot better for us. For this week, we talk it out and see what it's like to be around each other. Next week will be our training week. For the week and a half after that, we'll improvise and work on whatever else we need to. Is that clear?" Mooch decreed.

"That's more like it." Felix said first, before the other ten members agreed with him.

"So who's speaking first?" Mooch asked, initiating their quest on building the New 12.

**/-/**

And that's where this episode of BTA will end. Part 9 will [sort of] follow these events. For Parts 10 and on, the New 12 will slowly begin to take over. Continue to tune in to see what becomes of the Titans as they move into Crisis Central.

Until next time!


End file.
